Prologue - Somber Recollection
In the solemn field of silence
I can barely feel the pain
Blind and deaf to all the violence
And I've always felt this way
"Always Running" - Malukah
Snap.
The arrow flew straight and true, impaling itself in the deer's heart. It cried out once, sending its brethren scattering, before collapsing on the ground, dead. A woman rose from a thicket of dead bushes. Her cloak was red like fresh blood, a stark contrast to the white snow and black wood of the forest, and the crossbow she used to slay her prey seems to emanate a deathly aura. She slung her weapon onto her back and walked calmly to the the deer carcass.
She hefted the deer onto her right shoulder, carrying it as if it weighed nothing. And with the faint glow of red aura surrounding her body, it might as well have been. She started on her journey home.
The woods were silent save for the soft breeze coursing through the dead trees. The ground exudes the smell of rotting leaves, victims of the harsh Atlasian winter. Every once in awhile she would see a squirrel darting from tree to tree, carrying an acorn between its stubby fingers. She figured she was capable of tracking them down and taking their nut stash, but she doesn't have the heart to do so. The northern deers and winter rabbits are sufficient to keep her alive, and she refuses to kill or steal from the local wildlife unless it is absolutely necessary.
She leapt from tree to tree, moving in absolute silence despite the crimson cloak she wears upon her back. She breathed in, taking in her surroundings. She was surrounded by trees, either dead or dying. The smell of rotting leaves dissipates as the refreshing scent of roses permeate the air. She summoned her aura to keep her warm. She breathed out, forming a small fog in front of her face. Aural warmth comforted her, and the tension she was feeling relieved somewhat.
It will take her about an hour or two to reach her hideout. Her hunting grounds are usually restricted in one of Atlas's numerous valleys, but food was growing scarce and she was forced to hunt further away to find what she needed. Most people would deem the mountainside inhospitable and dangerous, but she cherishes its majestic peaks and beautiful sceneries. She was born in the north after all, and had spent most of her childhood climbing winter pines and enjoying the soft touch of snow.
She paused atop a ridge and closed her eyes, letting the afternoon sun warm her face. She dropped her kill and adjusted her unruly fur clothing. A beowolf howled in the distance, and she tensed. They bring back painful memories, memories she'd rather forget. She raised a hand towards a black eyepatch covering her left eye.
She was escorting a little girl of eight, holding hands with her mother on the streets of Atlas. She was clutching a doll on her right hand. The streets of Atlas has been overrun by Grimm, and she was leading them through an alleyway towards to second line of defense. The center of Dust manufacturing and robot production is tightly packed, and it was difficult to navigate through the narrow Maze of Atlas's factory depots.
If this city falls, Remnant goes with it.
"Mommy! I'm scared!" the girl whimpered, clutching her doll so hard She was worried it might break.
"It's alright, Ava. We have a Huntress with us. She won't let anything hurt us. Right?" the mother stared at her.
She nodded. "Of course. I promise."
The girl calmed down, somewhat reassured. The girl whispered something to her.
"What was that?" she asked.
"I want to be a Huntress." Ava smiled. "I want to be strong and pretty, just like you."
She smiled and patted her head.
"You will be. I can tell."
The girl brightened considerably.
They hurried between two office buildings. It was almost midnight, judging by the broken moon hovering in the sky. A massive siren roared in the distance and the streetlights died. Atlas had just lost its central power grid.
The sounds of battle were fading away into the distance, but she didn't let her guard down. Scythe in hand, she turned a dark corner.
An Alpha Beowolf lunged at her out of nowhere, swatting her weapon aside. The scythe impaled itself on a wall to her right. She did a backflip, narrowly avoiding its jaws. Using her semblance, she reclaimed Crescent Rose and turned to find a bloody claw swiping at her face. She stepped back a split second too late and felt claws rip into her face. She screamed, but managed to sidestep to avoid a fatal blow. She leapt upwards, blood trickling from her forehead, and spun her scythe, slicing the Alpha into two, three, four pieces. The corpse fell on the ground and began to dissipate.
A little girl's scream shook her world.
She turned to see her companions beset by the rest of the pack. Even with her semblance, she was not fast enough. The mother shielded her daughter with her body, raising an arm against a lunging Beowolf. It tore her arm clean and flung it across the alleyway. Blood painted the ground crimson.
She roared in outrage and propelled herself with a burst of accelerant bullets from her scythe. She sliced one in half, severed the limbs of another and fired a point blank shot to the third. Its head exploded in a shower of black blood and flesh fibres. The body flopped to the ground, convulsed once, and was still. She spun to see a heartbreaking sight.
They lay against a wall. The little girl was sobbing silently. Her entire body was bathed in the blood of her dying mother, who stroke her daughter lovingly. The woman turned to her, glaring with such intensity she turned away.
"Promise.. me.. that you'll .. take.. care of.."
The woman didn't finish her sentence.
She felt a hand on her leg, gripping so tight it hurt.
"You lied." Ava hissed accusingly. She lowered her gaze, downcast. The girl was right. She promised she'd protect them, and she failed. She started hitting the Huntress feebly, beating her chest with tiny fists.
"YOU LIED!"
Anger gave way to grief and the little girl slumped against her, clutching the black fabric of her combat uniform. She cried, a voice of anguish among many in that dreadful night.
She wiped away the tears in her eyes. It was seven years ago, but it felt like it happened yesterday. In the glare of her memories, the sun wasn't bright anymore. The forest was desolate and the snow was cold.
She hoisted the deer on her shoulders once more, continuing on her journey. The sun was setting, coloring the horizon a fair shade of orange and yellow. By the time she arrived by her cliffside home, faint rays of lunar light were penetrating the forest canopy, bathing the world in its soft radiance.
Remnant's broken moon rose from the horizon. Broken in pieces, revolving around the vestiges of what was left behind. Just like her heart.
This was her life now, self-imposed exile in the north. Out of everything she's learned these past years, one thing stood out in particular.
Ruby Rose was alone.
A/N: I'm working on the next few chapters and I'll try to update weekly. Reviews are appreciated!